


Fatherhood; By John Constantine

by BluBooThalassophile



Series: The Many Alternative Lives of JayRae [2]
Category: Batman - All Media Types, Constantine (TV), DCU, Hellblazer, Hellblazer & Related Fandoms, Teen Titans - All Media Types, Young Justice - All Media Types
Genre: Action & Romance, Action/Adventure, Dysfunctional Family, Family Drama, Family Fluff, Fluff and Humor, Friendship, Multi
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-01-14
Updated: 2019-01-14
Packaged: 2019-10-10 07:24:15
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 12
Words: 12,323
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17421575
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BluBooThalassophile/pseuds/BluBooThalassophile
Summary: John's gone about adopting a little demon... Not like anything could possibly go wrong with this decision.





	1. Fatherhood

John Constantine was many things, demon adopter was not on the list as he stared down at a little demoness looking at him with wide, innocent, dark eyes and tangled black hair in the depths of Hell.

He had come here to kill this little menace.

Before the menace was a real threat.

He’d even come with the tools to do it and make it stick. But looking at this little girl, he couldn’t as he smoked his cigarette and thought his options through carefully. If he didn’t eliminate her then she would grow and succumb to her father, and if her father was unleashed on the world of the living. But if he did eliminate her, he would be killing a child, and Constantine didn’t kill children. He had one on his conscience and he didn’t need another.

“Are you here to kill me?” the girl asked, a warm, sulfur scented breeze ruffled her hair.

The question knocked him back, it was like a punch to the gut, and he pulled the cigarette as he flicked it away. “What do you think I’m here to do, love?”

“I think you don’t know.” she answered softly. “I’m not evil. I didn’t mean to do it.”

“Didn’t mean to what?” Constantine asked.

“I just wanted to meet my dad,” she whispered.

“Oh,” he sighed. “Come on kid.”

She looked up again and he scooped her up as he opened the portal and walked into the House of Mystery. He might come to regret this, but he couldn’t leave the kid there to fend for herself.

* * *

 

“Daddy! Daddy! Daddy!” a scream had him bolting up in his bed as he shoved Zed off him, grabbed pants and yanked open the door to see Raven come barreling down the hall screaming as Deadman, Boston Brand and Chas ran behind her.

In the four months since taking in the demon he had learnt her name was Raven, not the Gem of Scath and calling her the Gem got him blasted. She was eager to learn, anything, she was so magically adept that he had to start teaching her after she started figuring out how to read ruins. She was also more than willing to abide by his rules, and learning about morals and ethics. She was Azarathian, her mother was Arella Roth. She was an empath. She had demon behaviors and characteristics which seemed to be a minor influence on her. Otherwise she seemed to be a normal human child, and after a nosey hag had started sticking her nose into his business, he had simply adopted Raven. Even filing legal papers in England after forging her citizenship papers. Raven had taken rather quickly to calling him Dad and Daddy.

“What is it!?”

“Demon!” Raven launched herself at him, he caught her just as Etrigan rounded the corner with a roar.

“Oh Fuck!” Constantine slammed the door shut as he ran through a portal with Raven.

* * *

 

“You can’t be the real Devil,” Raven stated to the Devil’s face. Constantine blinked at this sight as his twelve year old sat in Lux with Lucifer looking like a cat ate the canary with Raven, it was the only place Constantine could think of with a female demon to explain puberty to Raven. Mazikeen was here, and she was the only female demon he knew to be alive at this old age.

“Constantine, she is just a darling little pet,” Lucifer declared.

“Careful Lucifer, this is the Gem,” Mazikeen said walking around Raven.

“Nonsense, she’s my darling granddaughter, and I insist you bring her around more often,” Lucifer declared.

“Are you my daddy’s daddy?” Raven asked.

“Trigon’s creator,” Lucifer clarified.

“Oh, I never had a grandpa.”

“Fuck,” Constantine muttered. Mazikeen just looked vastly amused.

“Then I’m your aunt Maze,” Maze decided.

Raven just nodded and smiled deviously, Constantine had a feeling that her enemies should be wary.

* * *

 

Ten years of having Raven as his daughter this was the first time he had left her behind on a job, it was for the best because he had kept his daughter away from the Young Justice Team for this very reason.

“Constantine,” Fate greeted him.

“I heard you have a problem of Chaos,” Constantine said looking up at the screen past the League members.

“Our team is trapped in an energy field of some sort,” Batman said. Constantine’s eyes flicked up at the ruins dancing.

“You have fought something like this we were wondering if you could get around it, the children are trapped,” Diana stated.

“I never got around this,” Constantine admitted reluctantly. Flicking his cigarette away he exhaled as he stared at the screens.

“What do you mean?” Fate demanded, he could see Zatara in there then, trying to break the surface of Nabu’s hold.

“I mean I have never gotten around this barrier, the one time I did it was because of help I had.”

“Help from who!?” the League sputtered.

* * *

 

Jason covered Artemis as there were blasts at them from that psycho brat. Jason wanted to kill him.

“I can’t get close to him!” Zatanna shouted.

“Come out! Come out to play!” Klarion cackled.

“I’m going to kill him!” Jason snarled.

Then the shadows warped, she breezed by him. He stilled, the indifferent, pale, girl looked like she was more shadows than human and about his age. Her eyes were cold, dark, and she moved like a ballerina with this floating grace.

“Didn’t anyone tell you to pick on kids your own size Klarion?” she asked so coldly as a surge of power rippled in the dome they were trapped in.

She was the prettiest woman Jason had ever seen, as he peeked over the rock. She wore a black trench coat, black boots, jeans and a worn shirt for Deadpool; the drawing, and ‘Ouchie!’ written on the caption. Fuck she was sexy as she stood there.

“Well, they sent you to play with me, Gem,” Klarion cackled.

“Get out of here,” the girl ordered as a portal was torn open.

“It can’t be,” Zatanna started.

“Don’t know about you, but we’re out of here!” Dick declared, and Jason shoved his teammates through the portal before running in himself. Last words he heard were:

“Show me what you got, you prat.”

* * *

 

“We are welcoming a new teammate, today,” Bruce stood there in the cowl beside a rumpled blond man who looked half put together smoking a cigarette.

“Who?” Dick demanded. Jason had a guess.

“John Constantine’s adopted daughter, Raven,” Bruce continued as if Dick hadn’t spoken.

Jason blinked when she walked out of the shadows again, her long black hair pulled back in a ponytail, she wore a trench coat, and looked more put together than her father in jeans, boots, and a grey t-shirt then.

“Hello,” she said.

“You can’t be serious! She’s a demon!” Zatanna shouted.

“A demon who saved our asses!” Jason snapped as he walked forward. “Robin.”

“Raven,” she answered taking his hand.

“You’re awesome, and thanks for kicking his ass.”

“No problem.” she smiled. He was gone. Sunk.

Jason was pretty sure he’d just found the love of his life. A dangerous little bird.


	2. Something to be Proud Of

“This Is My World! Not Yours!” The demoness shouted as she pulled her fist back and slammed it into the pavement, the black shadows wrapping around them. The girl lunged through the shadows for her brothers, and there was a roar of fury as she attacked. Constantine could only watch the flurry of fury and movement as he watched her take on the other Sins.

Pride didn’t back down as she attacked though. Tearing limbs and bodies apart as she left a bloodied path of the others. There was a retreat and the shield separating him from his daughter dropped, he dropped his cigarette as he ran to the bloodied young woman who stood there panting. What had felt like an eternity was in actuality only fifteen seconds and that had him catching her.

Her arms were draped around his shoulders as she fell against his chest and sighed.

“I got you, love, I got you.” he promised as he kissed the top of her head and felt nothing but admiration and respect for what the girl could do. His daughter, his student, she had surpassed him, and he couldn’t help but feel proud of that.

“I’m tired, Dad,” she sighed.

“You did good, darling, you did well,” he promised as he scooped her up and cradled the lithe woman against him. She was nineteen now, she felt so small.

“Want a shower,” she muttered.

“I bet, you are covered in blood,” he pointed out.

“Got that date, need to cancel that,” she muttered tiredly against his shoulder.

“I’ll call the lad for you,” he promised as he walked into the House of Mystery as it materialized. He left Raven in the care of Black Orchid as he pulled out his daughter’s phone and dialed her date’s number.

“I’m not late!” was the shout as there was gunshots at the other end. “Fuck!”

“Jason?” Constantine blinked hearing the voice of his daughter’s best friend on the Young Justice team.

“Constantine?”

“You’re Raven’s date?”

“Uh…” Jason managed and Constantine glowered. He had been trying to keep his daughter from being tangled up in the Bats! Now she was dating one!? He was both furious and proud of her, Raven always did have a knack for picking the dangerous ones. Jason was probably the most dangerous of the Bats.

“I take the fifth!”

“I don’t think so, you answer me right now!”

“YES! I’m her date, we’re going to the movies!” Jason yelped and it sounded like there was a scuffle on the other end of the line and a few punches.

“Which movie?” Constantine demanded.

“The new Deadpool,” Jason answered.

“And you were going to have her home when?”

“It’s dinner and a movie! Not sex!” Jason snapped.

“I don’t trust you.”

“You say that as I’m being shot at!? Who do you think you are!?” Jason roared as he sounded like he was falling.

“I’m her father.”

“And I’m the best friend who asked her on a date,” Jason answered as it sounded like he was in another scuffle. “And I asked her on the date because I happen to like her!”

“And that means you can date my daughter!?”

“No, it means I’m the only guy who’s had the balls to ask her out. Raven’s awesome! But intimidating, and people seem to think she’ll unleash demons on them if they so much as talk to her!”

“And you think you can take her on a date!?”

“Well if she didn’t want to go, she could have said no, and we’d still go to the movie but skip the dinner thing,” Jason said.

“You were prepared for her to say no and accept that?”

“Yeah, it’s Raven, of course I’d accept whatever her answer is, she’s my best friend!”

“Fine you can date my daughter,” Constantine groaned. Jason wasn’t all that bad, and it wasn’t like she was going to date Garfield Logan or worse, Conner Kent. Jason was good, well put together, intelligent, and caring young man. She could do worse.

“Thanks! YIPE!” Jason yelped.

“She’s canceled the date, her brothers showed up,” Constantine said.

“I’m a bit tied up right now so I think it’s for the best,” Jason said tightly and then there was another scuffle.

“I’ll have her call you in the morning,” Constantine said.

“Sure!” was the tight reply.

“And Jason, you break her heart I will throw you to hell,” he warned.

“Already been there, gotta go!” Jason said and the line was dead. Constantine walked into Raven’s room after a while of mulling that over and stared at his sleeping daughter. She was all grown up, taking on the world. But she was still his baby and he could remember her being eight years old and so fragile. He walked over and moved her hair aside, and smiled.

He had done good, raised her right, taught a demon to be human, to be compassionate and kind, and she had grown into a strong young woman.

“Mmm?” she cracked her eyes open at him.

“Jason?”

“I like him,” she smiled.

“You can do better than a bastard like that,” he assured her.

“I don’t see why he’s so bad,” she yawned.

“Get some rest, call him in the morning.”

“Night, love you dad,” she slurred as she fell asleep again.

Constantine walked to his study, poured himself a drink and turned to where Trigon was imprisoned.

“You lose, mate,” he cheered the demon cheerfully. He could feel the pulse of fury from Trigon and knocked his drink back then. Raven was growing up, and she was good, he was very proud of this because of her demon heritage and his delightful ability to fuck people up or get them killed. She was alive and well.

He had finally done something right.

Now he had to trust Jason not to fuck it all up.

A terrifying thought really as the young Bat was another bastard in this world. But he had hopes that this bastard would completely fuck it up.


	3. An Angel

‘It’s me again. I need someone to be my friend. Someone who won’t run away. Maybe send me an angel! The nicest angel you have…’

He used to pray something along those lines after his mom died, but angels weren’t real…

* * *

 

He’d been on the streets for three months, winter was fast approaching, and he shivered, his shoe was wet after he’d been shoved into a puddle by an older kid when they’d run from the cops on the annual round up of the orphaned street kids.

He heard the muffled scuffling in his alley as he rummaged for a blanket or coat or something, which had him looking up. Picking up a pipe he cautiously made his way down the abandoned alley. He paused at the corner of the dumpster. Taking a deep breath, he steeled his nerves then he leapt.

There was a scream!

Then he was flying, as he slammed into the wall across the alley, and the shadows were alive!

* * *

 

She didn’t talk, not really, she was littler than him, so tiny, she had these HUGE dark eyes though, black hair, and an always blank face.

She didn’t speak his language, but he called her Raven, because she could fly.

Raven screamed the first time he cut her hair, until he said being a boy was safer, which was true, and she hugged his back the whole day after the cut.

Jason didn’t let her out of his sight, no kid touched her, and he was terrified that she could be snatched. A nice lady caught Raven’s arm one day when Raven was playing when he was working, and asked where her parents were, said she could call Raven’s dad, the shadows and screams. So much pain!

He had caught Raven and ran.

* * *

 

She pointed upwards as they huddled together, and he saw the Bat and Robin fly over them.

“That’s Batman, he’s good, he protects us, and Robin kicks ass!” Jason grinned at her.

“Robin,” she whispered as she pointed at him.

“Nah, Rae, I’m just Jason,” he assured her.

Those eyes though, he swore she could see everything.

* * *

 

It had been a few years for him and Raven, they had a good thing going as he and she would pick pockets; and he’d steal tires on the side. They had a warm squat, and food most nights. They were good.

Until Two Face caught him stealing his tires.

It was work for Two-Face and pay off his dad’s debt, or they’d hurt Raven. No one got to hurt Raven. Which was what had him glaring up at Two Face, a bloody lip, and black eye, Raven was behind him.

“Heads you live, tails your girl dies,” Harvey sneered.

“Don’t touch her!” he screamed.

Harvey slammed a fist into his cheek again, and then there was windows shattering. Before anyone could blink though there was this earth shattering wave of pain, four red eyes as the shadows came to life again, and the Bat and Robin were frozen in midair.

“Release Him,” a voice; no, voices, snarled, and Jason saw her floating upwards, her black hair swirled around her.

Harvey laughed, there was a shout behind them and then the Harvey was flying, Jason slammed into Raven and they went tumbling to the ground, he curled around her when a foot lashed out. He didn’t remember what happened next.

* * *

 

He woke up in a strange place, in a bed, with a familiar weight on him, as he breathed in the scent of smoke and shadows, that was Raven. She hummed as she pressed closer to him.

“Easy,” a heavy hand touched his shoulder when he moved. “You took quiet the beating,” the voice said and he found himself staring at Batman, Jason curled around Raven then.

“Wha?” he started.

“Rest,” Batman said, Jason wrapped his arms around Raven and pressed closer to her.

* * *

 

“What do we do with them? Are they siblings?” Dick whispered as Bruce worked, their two patients were sedated.

“The boy is completely human, Jason Peter Todd, missing from CPS, the girl is unidentified, and not all human, only half her DNA is human,” Bruce said.

“What’s the other half?”

“Unreadable, not alien,” Bruce said.

“B… we can’t, you saw… we can’t turn them back to CPS,” Dick said.

“The girl is dangerous,” Bruce said. It had taken an Amazonian designed tranquilizer to take the girl down, with a Kryptonian tranq to finish that job.

* * *

 

“Well, Bats, that’s because the kid ain’t human, she’s a bloody demon. And not just any bloody demon, but the Gem of Scath,” Constantine said when Bruce was sitting across from him.

“What is the Gem of Scath?” Bruce growled, he hated magic. And Jason seemed abnormally attached to the girl, any separation attempts had been met with three voices, and shadows coming to life, plus pain that was all consuming.

“Something powerful and dangerous,” Constantine said.

“And what do we do about it?” Jason asked, Raven was hiding behind Jason with large unblinking eyes.

* * *

 

Robin flew after the Raven, unafraid as the Nightwing and Bat made sure he wasn’t falling. But mostly because the Raven played on wind as she flew beside him.

“How’s Constantine?” as he landed beside her on Wayne Tower.

“I have… much to learn,” she said.

“Best friends, always Rae,” he promised her, knowing she was scared of them not being together.

She smiled as she hugged him.

* * *

 

Jason sat in his room on his phone, there was silence on the other end as he filled her in about everything going on with his life and being adopted by the Waynes, he just missed her.

“I’m happy for you!” she said.

“So how’s everything with Constantine and Zatanna?” he asked.

“Different, I miss you,” she whispered.

“You can come over now,” he pointed out impatiently which had her materializing on his bed and throwing her arms around him.

“Hey little bird!”

“Jay!” she smiled as she held on.

“I didn’t tell you! Dick offered me to be Robin!” he smiled at her.


	4. Daughters

Now, John Constantine was not ‘Father’ Material. Never had been, he was a fucking bastard, he knew that. He knew it!

So the demon, taking her in that had been an anomaly. Zed adoring the demon, didn’t help in finding the demon a home.

And before Constantine really knew it he had accepted being called ‘Daddy’ and he was feeling this pride with her. Zed adored her, and they were… they were solid. Everything was perfect.

Then Zatara had done something stupider than fuck. Zatara had merged with Nabu, becoming Dr. Fate, and leaving his sixeteen year old daughter alone, and in… ding, ding, ding! You guessed it, John Constantine’s custody.  John actually blasted Fate in every which way he could before Nabu had blasted back and Constantine found his house filled with two teenage girls.

There was thirteen year old Raven and sixteen year old Zatanna and THAT was the start of the wars.

Zed had even ducked out of these girl’s wars.

Which was what had him sitting in his ‘courtyard’ as he took a smoke, and break, Zed had surrendered from the girls’ war and walked out of the house to go with Chas on a mission or something. Constantine took another drag of his cigarette and wondered if he could call B for help about getting the adopted siblings to like each other… Then again… He didn’t think the Bats got along either.

“I said no!”

“It’s NOT Yours!” Raven screamed.

“It is Now!” Zatanna shouted.

“That’s MINE!” Raven shouted.

There was a few crashes, curses were flying, Constantine stood and groaned as he snubbed out his cigarette as he got to his feet.

“Just ONE BLOODY DAY!” he roared as he threw open the door and saw Raven’s magic fly loose, and then there was white spell crashing to him, he grabbed Raven as he was hit, he gasped as he felt his body shrink, the limbs change as he crashed into the grass, he sat up, an ear twitched and he stared at his daughters.

There was a tiny little black mouse, and white rabbit…

Fuck…

The white rabbit with a red chakra gem, and a black mouse with a white bowtie. Constantine groaned. Oh fuck him.


	5. Welcome to the Seventh Circle of Hell

Constantine wondered how the bloody hell it was that he was stuck with not one, but two girls, who were always at each other’s throats.

Raven and Zatanna got along about as well as cats and dogs, and the two girls were probably going to blow his house to Hell if they didn’t learn get along at some point or another.

Which had lead Constantine hiding out in the one place he knew neither of his daughters would look for him as he nursed a scotch and contemplated giving up and just calling Zed for help. God knew he was fucking up this father thing if he couldn’t even get two teenaged girls to get along for five minutes.

A hand clasped his shoulder and Constantine reluctantly lifted his head to find himself staring at the only hero he found to be competent and worth talking to and working with. Batman, also known as Bruce Wayne.

“I thought I would find you here.”

“I am a creature of habit,” Constantine chuckled tonelessly as he yawned then knocked his drink back before motioning the tender for another. The woman poured him two and before he could as he watched as Bruce took the other glass and they sat in silence. For a long time neither of them spoke. Constantine was trying to remember when the bloody hell his life had gotten so fucking hard!

Raven… Raven was his first daughter, and she was the easy child. It was fucking weird to think of the demon as the easy child. Fuck he knew that she wasn’t an easy child, so withdrawn, and independent, inquisitive and quick to temper and rage if she didn’t keep her precarious control. But she was so easy, she was easy for him, he got Raven. Constantine could sit with Raven in silence and not feel like he was neglecting the girl, they could simply hang out, he just had to focus on teaching her, and that was really about it. Raven just wanted… she wanted love and loving her was as easy as breathing. She just wanted that love, to know she was loved, and as an empath he knew his youngest knew she was loved by him and Zed, and adored by Lucifer, Mazikeen and Chas.

Fuck, Raven was the most lovable demon ever.

Then there was his newer daughter, Zatanna Zatara, and she’d had a father who had loved her before, and a cousin who was like her brother before he had died. Zatanna was light, she was happy, exuberant, she was kind, and giving, she just gave everything to everyone all the time; it must have been that Italian passion of hers. She was all fire where Raven was ice. And Zatanna wasn’t easy, fuck the girl made life hard. Zatanna demanded attention, she demanded to learn, she made her hatred of demons well known and made it a point to berate and torment Raven; who was already withdrawn enough and was retreating further away from everyone now that Zatanna was there. And it pained Constantine.

He adored both his girls, but he just didn’t get it. And he didn’t know how to stop the wars that had ignited.

Just this morning he’d been a bloody rabbit! A fucking RABBIT! While Raven and Zatanna had also been transformed into a rabbit and mouse. But all that for Raven’s book; a book which had been given to her by the only person Constantine knew she regularly interacted with outside the magical community; Jason Todd. And Zatanna had proceeded to berate and tease and torment Raven about having a crush on the young Robin, and that had lead to this fucking mess and now he was drinking because if he didn’t get away from the women he’d blast them both or tie them together until they got along.

Light and Dark were clashing so violently at his house, and Zed was out for a girl’s weekend with Renee.

“When I adopted Jason, before Tim, Dick and Jason tried to continuously kill each other; then after…” Bruce trailed off grimly.

Constantine understood then as they both stared at the counter. The near death of Jason Todd, not anyone’s finest moments even as a child had killed the Joker to save her friend. The silence was heavy between them for a long time as they both remembered that grim day. The day that sealed Jason and Raven’s bond and started their friendship.

“Things improved when Cass, Tim, Duke, and Damian joined the family,” Bruce commented.

“They transfigured each other into animals, and me into a rabbit,” Constantine stated icily as he sipped his drinking. “A fucking Rabbit!”

“Siblings apparently fight,” Bruce said dryly.

“I have two of the most naturally magically gifted girls in my house and they can’t even get along for five minutes! It’s driving me bloody bonkers!” Constantine snapped.

“Clark had the same problem when Conner was discovered,” Bruce said.

“Oh fuck, I knew what I was signing up for, B, I adopted a bloody demon! I didn’t think Zatanna would be a problem as Zatara was fucking stupid enough to put on Nabu!” Constantine sighed.

“Welcome to fatherhood,” Bruce stated dryly.

“Welcome to the Seventh Circle of Hell,” Constantine corrected dryly.

“They’ll be better,” Bruce shrugged.

“Or send each other to hell, you know Raven doesn’t like people outside the magic community as it is, and Zatanna only likes people outside the magic community, and she just seems determined to ruin Raven’s one connection to the outside world, which happens to be your son, and I just don’t understand this need to hurt each other the girls have,” Constantine sighed.

“I only came because Raven materialized is Jason’s room in near tears, Jason’s at space camp though, took some convincing on my part to let her let Alfred check her over,” Bruce said.

“Great,” Constantine groaned as he dropped his head to the bar.

“Zatanna showed up, she’s currently getting an earful from Dick about her actions,” Bruce said calmly as he sipped his own drink.

“Bloody hell, do you want the girls!?” Constantine’s head snapped up as he glowered at the man who could barely handle his horde of children had better expierence handling his daughters than he did.

“No, I’m just telling you they are safe,” Bruce said.

“Raven is the bloody Gem of Scath, the Devil Himself would tear the fabric of reality apart with the other angels to keep her safe, and Zatanna is more than capable of taking care of herself,” Constantine stated calmly.

He just… he just wanted them to get along, he was sure they’d be good together if they stopped swinging at each other with intent to maim or kill.

“It will get better,” Bruce said.

“Sure it will, all I need now is to adopt another magically inclined little girl; maybe a demigod, complete this circle of Hell, I swear if Black Orchid wasn’t in that house it’d have fallen apart, and without Zed I’m fucking clueless what to do, and they’ll kill each other and I can’t stop them,” Constantine barked out a bitter laugh. “The worst part, the worst part, B, is that they’re both two of the most powerful girls of their magic types, and they refuse to get along. Do you even realize how long it took me to convince Raven she wouldn’t hurt humans, or being an empath was alright? Then Zatanna comes into life and smashes all that progress to hell.

“And do you realize how difficult it is to get a teenage girl to stop crying about her father ‘dying’ to host Nabu and will never be her father again, only for the little demon to point out it’s possession and not by a demon!? I swear to God they are out to hurt each other and drive me to a nutter house!”

“I do,” Bruce said.

“I just, I don’t get this animosity between them, I love them both B, but I wanted to throttle them today,” Constantine sighed.

“It gets better,” Bruce said.

“I’d better go retrieve them before they blow your house to Hell,” Constantine sighed. He didn’t have favorites between his girls, he’d loved Zed since he had met her, he’d been a father to Raven longer, and now there was Zatanna, and he couldn’t truly be her father but damn him for trying. Dragging his hand through his hair he pulled a cigarette and lit it, he wondered if there was a way to get them to get along, without doping them with potions.

* * *

 

“I just… want her to like me!” Raven sobbed into the phone as she sat curled up on the floor talking to Jason and Zatanna was stricken hearing what Dick had forced her to hear.

“This isn’t my… she’s not…” Zatanna started.

“Grow up Zee, she is, and there’s only one of her! what are you going to do if she dies thinking you hated her, and she couldn’t even call you for help because she thought you’d laugh at her!?” Dick snapped, and Zatanna stiffened hearing that from him.

She was well aware of Jason, and how narrowly they all would have lost him had Raven’s empathy hadn’t acted up and she went to the teen.

“Yeah, think about that while you torment her, because from what I get about her, she’s got it a hell of a lot harder than you,” Dick snapped as he walked away.

She looked back through the crack of the door where Raven was crying into her knees and bit her lip.


	6. Kisses to Remember Me By

John Constantine was an Englishman, through and through, and he did not do the expressing of emotions past sarcasm, and frustration.

He wasn’t no damn blue blood, or stoic butler by nature, no, he was a fighter and a cocky bastard. Which was why he wasn’t entirely sure what to do with the child as he sat on the nine year old’s bed with a Dr. Suess book trying to escape as she slept on his chest.

“Daddy,” she breathed, which had him stopping as he tighten his hold on her and pulled her up to his lips as he kissed her hair; oh he was so fucked!

“You know this is the beginning only, right?” Zed murmured, her riot of curls lit up around her like a halo.

“She wasn’t… this isn’t… Zed…” he whined.

“She’s ours Constantine,” Zed chuckled and walked into the room before moving Raven’s hair aside and kissing the girl’s brow as he slowly slid her onto her new bed and he crept out of her room with Zed. His lover slid her hand in his and he spun around and kissed her hard.

“Tell me she’s not evil…” he breathed against her lips.

* * *

 

Zed watched as her fourteen year old cried out and shoved past the team towards one Jason Peter Todd who was limping towards them.

She slumped against Constantine and smiled as she watched the present unfold while the future was a jumbled mess for a moment.

The young teen caught Raven, who was crying before he stumbled back and gasped as they fell into the grass, Raven’s lips fell on his and both teens looked bewildered for a moment before Jason yanked Raven’s head to his and kissed her hard on the lips.

“That little!” Constantine started.

Zed caught her lover’s coat, spun him to her and kissed him hard then and smiled at John’s bewildered expression then. She pulled away smiling as she saw a future unfold before her that was so bright and sure. She watched Raven, dressed in white accept Jason’s hand, she watched as Constantine danced with a little girl with a riot of black curls and white streak, and as Zee kissed Dick Grayson in a bar before shimmering in white as a little girl with flaming black hair floated at the end of the aisle with Dick waiting for Zee.

“This is good, John,” she promised him.

* * *

 

Zatanna pressed her lips to Raven’s brow that morning and watched as her sister frowned and burrowed under the covers again.

“Raven… you need to wake up,” Zatanna shook her sister’s shoulder then.

“Go to hell.”

“That’s not nice!”

“I’m sleeping, go away,” Raven grumbled as she disappeared under her covers which had Zatanna’s brow twitching.

“Ereh Emoc Nevar!” Zatanna shouted and the covers flew as her sister was ripped out of bed and Zatanna tapped her foot in irritation.

“You will not be late for your own damn wedding, get stepping!” Zatanna snapped which had the younger glaring at her.

Whatever compelled the idiot Jason Todd to marry Raven was beyond Zatanna to be honest, especially as she watched her younger sister stumble to the shower. She sighed and paused at Raven’s bedside where a photo of the family was. “I got them Zed, promise.”

It had taken a lot of growing up on her part, but she was thankful for this now. Thankful for a sister and a family. It wasn’t like her first family, but it was hers, and she loved it deeply.

But honestly, this was the start of a long day for Raven and Jason; neither of whom liked putting on shows.

* * *

 

Constantine chuckled as he was presented a flower crown from his granddaughter who stood there smiling with mischief and curiosity.

She had her daddy’s eyes, her mam’s look, definitely her daddy’s mouth, and that was his smile; he could see that.

“Thank you, love,” he chuckled as his granddaughter placed the crown on his head. The toddler smiled in delight; she had yet to speak, but that was okay.

“So darling, am I a king of flowers now?” he teased.

She shook her head, that riot of curls was adorable as he stared at her.

Then she smiled and crept up to him, she was giggling a bit before she kissed his cheek then she yanked his arms around her and pressed into his chest.

“Best we can figure that means thanks,” his son-in-law stated appearing.

“Ah, well, you’re welcome love,” he smiled at her and kissed her brow. She giggigled with glree then and started examining his fingers with the utmost fascination. She was so precious, he’d kill to keep this little demon safe and sound, and he was so thankful to get to be a grandfather.

* * *

 

Constantine saw her, a heavenly glow before him and he stared at her as she sat there.

“John,” she smiled.

“Zed…” he breathed.

“You made it,” she grinned.

He reached for her, startled not to see his old, boney hand but saw his young, calloused hand. “I’m… Hell?”

“Oh, no, you have fought too long for that,” he smiled as took her hand, and she stood.

“You did good, John, with our girls,” she stated, he stared at her amber eyes, and watched her face.

“Did I?”

“I saw it all,” she promised.

“I missed you Zed,” he murmured as he moved an errant curl from his best friend’s face, and stared at the freckles he had once had memorized.

“I’m here now,” she smiled.

John yanked her to him as he kissed her hard and tangled his hands in her hair as he felt her slid up against him, all the fire and passion and heat from his youth and when she was alive was there again. He kissed her until he couldn’t breath before pulling away.

“I missed you,” he repeated, because it had been decades without her.

“Let us go home John,” she murmured as she pulled him to the light. “The girls will come in time.”


	7. Itsy-Bitsy-Spider

“The Itsy-Bitsy Spider Climbed Up the Water Spout/ Down Came the Rain And Washed the Spider Out/Out Came the Sun and Dried up All the Rain/ And the Itsy-Bitsy Spider Climbed Up the Water Spout…” Raven smiled as she hummed softly to her daughter as she fed the baby.

Constantine chuckled as he leaned on the door frame watching his first adopted, youngest daughter, as she fed her baby. The little grey baby giggled as she was fed with bright green eyes and her black curls bounced as she waved her fists around.

“You are a messy little thing, just a terrible little mess,” Raven sighed as the baby splattered baby food everywhere.

“She’s just like her dada,” Constantine chuckled as he walked behind his daughter.

“If that’s the case and she’s got my power then we’re doomed,” Raven sighed as she looked up at him.

“Beats Zee’s brat, the little terror is too charming for her own good, always talking backwards too,” he smiled at his granddaughter. Lilith Catherin Todd-Wayne smiled a gummy smile at him as she reached for him.

“How did you do this?” Raven asked him.

“In case you forget, love you were not this tiny when I got you,” he said making faces at Lilith.

“She just likes you,” Raven sighed.

“Of course love, I’m her granddad! I spoil her,” he smiled.

“You and Luci, why don’t you two just adopt her!” Raven sighed.

“Tempting darling, but her daddy might not like that,” he cooed as he scooped his baby granddaughter up then and bounced her. “No he wouldn’t, no he wouldn’t! You are the most precious little thing every, just a precious little gem, yes, you are. You’re a perfect little gem, yes you are!”

He blew a raspberry into her tummy. Lilith squealed.

“I’ll take her, mommy looks tired,” Constantine offered as he bounced her.

“Thank you, dad,” Raven yawned as she stood, she wavered, he yanked her into his side, kissed her forehead and smiled.

“You’re doing great love, just go take a nap.” Constantine released her as she stumbled away to her quarters of the house and he smiled at Lilith before walking to his study.

“We’re going to play with magic, never too young to learn the beginning.”

Lilith cooed at him and he continued making his precious little gem funny faces for her amusement as she giggled and drooled a bit.

No offense to Zeena, but Lilith was his favorite, Lilith was like her mam and an easy baby. He liked the easy baby because he got the easy ones. They were simpler for him to understand, and Lilith was a low maintenance baby where Zeena was an attention seeking toddler.

“You are too perfect,” he mused.

Lilith was going to be confident ice queen like her mama and a hell riser like her papa, he was excited for her to get big and he could watch her rise hell.

It was going to be fun!

* * *

 

Jason walked into the House of Mystery, utterly exhausted, he didn’t think as he walked to Raven’s room and dropped on the bed. He turned his head to stare at his wife who was humming in her nap, as she lay there.

“Hello,” she hummed.

“Hey,” he smiled as he traced her cheek.

“You’re alive,” she observed.

“Yeah, not dead yet,” he promised.

“Good.”

“Lilith?” he asked tiredly.

“Dad,” she answered.

“You should sing more, I miss it,” he mumbled into the pillow.

“Go to sleep Jay.” She ordered as she patted his shoulder before scooting into him, dragging his arm over her shoulders.

“Love you.”

“Love you, sleep, no baby,” she said as he nuzzled her neck before kissing her.

“Kay.”

* * *

 

Constantine peeked in on his daughter who was humming in her sleep, and smiled seeing Jason spooning and nuzzling her neck as they slept. It was good to know that the baby hadn’t broken them up the way it had with Zee and Faust before the miscarriage. Zeena was Zee’s godsend, he thanked Dick for fixing Faust’s mess.

“Constantine?” Jason cracked an eye.

“Rest trouble, I gott the little gem,” he promised.

“Thanks,” he hummed. Raven hummed a bit, twisting around into her husband’s chest and Constantine smiled as he closed the door again as he tossed Lilith who giggled and floated a moment before falling into his arms.

“Yeah, we’re good. Lets mama and papa rest for a wee bit,” he grinned.

Lilith giggled.

* * *

 

Raven roused to her husband’s hand fisted in her hair, there was a low rumble in his chest as he hummed a nursery rhyme in his sleep and she pressed into him a bit more. She was safe, their daughter was safe, and for the first time in five months they could sleep and it felt divine as she fisted her hand in his shirt.

“Go back to sleep,” Jason mumbled.

“Going,” she yawned and snuggled herself more securely against him. Raven wedged her leg between his, and she smiled as she scooted up under his chin and felt his arm slide to around her waist.

“Good, Constantine is babysitting. Worry later.”

There was an explosion rumbling the house which had her cracking an eye again.

“Sleep Rae,” Jason yawned.

“What he do?” she mumbled.

“Magic, sleep, Lil is okay,” he promise. There was no way Constantine would let harm befall on his grandchildren, he’d soon unleash Hell.

“Kay,” she hummed.

* * *

 

Constantine sat there staring wide eyed at the damage Lilith had done and the little demon sat there smiling in the wreckage of an explosion.

She had clapped; that was it!

“You are your daddy’s daughter,” Constantine observed dryly. Lilith squealed as she clapped her hands again and giggled with delight.

Constantine smiled with pride and scooped the baby up who squealed and spun around with her. She was going to be strong like her mama, and he was so excited for this!

The world would learn to respect the demon!


	8. Not a Freak, Just... Different [Part 1]

Jason supposed he was capable of a lot of shit. Fucking up everything being high on the list as he sat there and sipped the beer and pondered how he had gotten here.

It wasn’t even his fault, it was Cass and Stephanie’s who just couldn’t leave well enough alone. It would be nice if for a change that everyone would stop fucking with him and Raven. They didn’t get it, they couldn’t get it, and in his rushed attempt to fix this misunderstanding between himself and his idiotic family members he had pretty much destroyed his relationship with Raven.

Yeah, that was a real bitch of a problem.

And he hated himself as he sat there in the grimy bar in the middle of Crime Alley and hoped that some thug had the guts to end his misery with his underaged drinking. That’d just be a fucking fantastic change of pace for him and the hell he was digging himself into. It’d just be nice to skip the pleasantries and plant himself six feet under, just to end this.

He’d even be willing to save on costs and use his own fucking coffin from the first time around!

Just for the love of a merciful God somewhere; Put Him Out Of His Misery!

A heavy hand clasped his and he glanced over at Artemis as she sat in the seat beside him. “You are not easy to find.”

“If I didn’t want to be found you’d never find me,” he pointed out and took another sip of his beer.

“You are…”

“A bastard, a fuck up, a royal pain in the ass; go ahead, say it, I’ve already been swearing at myself in every language I could think of,” he admitted.

“You’re Raven’s best friend.”

“And I completely fucked it up, royally this time,” he admitted. He was such a fuck up, and all this in his dire want of not wanting to fuck this all up.

“It does not mean it is shattered beyond repair,” Artemis insisted.

“No? I’m pretty sure I called her an ugly cow in lame man terms, and a freak of nature; two things I know she’s not, in the dire attempt to get my family to stop pushing her and me together!” he groaned. “I deserve to have the shit beaten out of me, I made her cry Arty. I fucking made her cry!” he rubbed the heels of his hands over his eyes as he tried not to scream in fury at himself.

“She wasn’t angry,” Artemis said softly.

“No, because she was… God, she was sad, Arty. It was everything her ex said about her and I just… I made it worse. She looked like she was about to cry.”

“Then go fix it!” Artemis snapped.

“HOW!?” he roared.

“Tell her the truth!” Artemis snapped.

“And what is that!? That I’m very much in love with the little bird!? That I’d give my life before harming her, but hey, I hurt her in the worst way possible,” he muttered the last part miserably and sipped his beer as he prayed to die. Death would be nice.

* * *

 

Raven buried her face in her pillow and tried desperately not to cry. She knew she was a freak, she had frequently been reminded by everyone around her just how creepy and how freaky she was. She got it!

She was an ugly demon!

She was a freak of nature!

She was… she was shattered…

The sob tore from her chest then as she tried to smother herself in the pillow sobbing. It’d just be nice if ONE person liked her how she liked them! She’d love it if… if Jason liked her… like… like she liked him…

Azar she was pathetic, she sobbed into the pillow as she tried to will herself into a death by humiliation at even thinking she even had a shot at a guy as awesome as Jason.

Suddenly there was a gentle hand in her hair which had her curling into the pillow.

“Go Away!” she snapped at Zatanna; her elder sister was so fucking perfect that she’d never have this humiliation.

“I’m not going anywhere Rae,” Zatanna said softly.

“Fuck Off!”

“No.”

“Why!? So you can rub this in! because you’re so bloody perfect all the damn time! You get every guy you look at! Do you like this humiliation that you get to rub into my face!?” Raven shouted in the pillow. There was a stab of pain in Zatanna’s emotions, but Raven didn’t care. She wanted to go die for ever being foolish enough to crush on her best friend.

“Okay, I take shitty sister aware of the century,” Zatanna sighed.

“Just fuck off Zatanna!”

“No!”

“Go Away!”

“NO! Get it through your thick demon skull Raven, you’re my little sister who’s just had her first heartbreak, and it sucks to try to go through it alone,” Zatanna snapped.

“And you’ve had your heart broken so often?” Raven sneered into her pillow; some of her fury at Zatanna was probably lost with her refusal to look at her but Raven wasn’t falling for it.

“Yeah, I have, and by a guy, and it fucking SUCKED; and the guy wasn’t even doing it by accident like Jay was, he did it because he could. Jason’s a scared kid and he loves you Rae! As a friend, and as something more, even a blind man could see he’s head over heels in love with you,” Zatanna snapped.

“He called me an evil demon, and a freak,” she muttered and cried again, feeling the fresh pain of that.

“No, he said you were a demon and a bit freaky, but totally cool, Rae… he didn’t, he’s a nervous wreck,” Zatanna said.

“He meant it.”

“Yevio,” she muttered.

“Fuck off, Zatanna.”

“I’m getting ice cream and when I get back you’ll be in pajamas and ready for a night of shitty action movies I hate,” Zatanna snapped as she got off the bed.

Raven didn’t move as she cried harder; Jason had called her a freak.


	9. Father's Duties

Constantine would admit he was not that much of a hovering father, he wasn’t. His eldest Zatanna, was a good girl, the child of light. His second daughter, Raven, was the child of darkness and power, and she was only involved with one young man whom Constantine approved of, and did not intend to use Raven for sex only. Jason Todd was so head over heels in love with Raven that Constantine was just waiting for the wedding.

But his third, and newest daughter, that little demigod was a bloody handful.

Lilith Clay, a smartassed fifteen year old who was more trouble than one old dabbler could handle, and it did not help matters that she was boy hungry. It was like dealing with a bloody cat in heat all the damn time!

Which brought him to where he was now.

His easy child was lounging in her chair with her long hair down, listening to jazz, as her fingers slide over the book she was engrossed in. Raven accounted for, he waved at her, she nodded and continued her studies, no doubt she’d have a date tonight with Jason for the movies or something. Jason was relatively good at getting Raven to go out and be a normal seventeen year old.

He knocked on Zatanna’s door then.

“Come in!” she shouted, he opened the door to see his twenty year old with several levitating mirrors as she spoke to her hair into do something.

“And where are you going?” he drawled.

“Dick’s invited me to a school party for his fraternity, I agreed to go.”

“Don’t!” he started.

“I’m not drinking, or doing anything untowards, and if anything happens I’m calling Anissa and will go hang out at her place until you or Zed can get me,” Zatanna promised.

“When did the demon get to be the easy daughter?” he groaned as he rubbed his face over.

“Because Raven’s been Jason’s since she was like ten,” Zatanna rolled her eyes.

“Alright, but you call me, and I want you home by one,” he said.

“I’m twenty dad!” Zatanna protested.

“Midnight!” he shouted.

“Dad!”

“I’m happier with eleven,” he drawled out as he stared at his frustrated twenty year old.

“No one else!” Zatanna started.

“You live in my house, which means my rules, and you are in need of my support, so you will do as you are told young lady, is that understood?” he demanded.

“Yes,” Zatanna seethed. “You don’t treat Raven this way.”

“Because I have to bribe her out of the house, and Jason is nothing but a gentleman to her,” Constantine pointed out as he walked to check in on his demigod.

Part of him wondered why he had agreed to take in Lilith Clay, rather than handing her over to Hippolyta who would have taken care of the girl. But he had insisted on taking her in last year.

“Yes!” he heard.

“Fuck baby!” a low teen’s voice grunted.

“Don’t stop!” she whine, Constantine could guess what the kids were doing in there. Opening the door he found himself presented with the greenling, who had chased after Raven religiously, his head between his youngest daughter’s legs.

“DAD!” Lilith screamed, kicking Garfield off her as she grabbed a blanket.

“Mr. Constantine!?” Garfield squeaked, which had Constantine pulling out a cigarette and lighting it as he slipped it between lips.

“This isn’t fair!” the demigod whined.

“What? The door was unlocked,” he stated blandly as his daughter tightened the blanket around her.

“Why can’t you just leave it alone!?” Lilith demanded. “You leave Zatanna and Raven alone!”

“Zatanna is twenty, and Raven is not having sex with every man she meets,” Constantine snapped.

“Mr. C.!”

“I will transform you into a lamp if you ever dare to call me that again boy. You might be ruled by animal instincts here, but you are a man so you’ll just shut up and sit here to repeat what I’ve said to the next prick who dares to come near my daughters,” he snarled at Garfield.

“Yes sir…” Garfield squeaked covering his unimpressive errection.

“And if you ever think to call me Mr. C again I will send you to Hell,” he growled. “Lilith you live in MY House. You are protected, by ME. You are adopted into MY Family. There are bloody rules here, not for breaking but rather your safety. There is also no sex in this House until you are of legal age of consent, and you are fifteen! I catch another boy in this room, or the door closed when there’s another boy over, I will remove the temptation for you, personally. Is this understood?”

“Yes,” the demigod scowled.

“Dinner is in five, you will be dressed, and presentable, and the greenling will be gone or in hell,” he warned as he turned out throwing the pants at Garfield.

Constantine made it to his sitting room just as Garfield ran out of the house and slammed the door shut. Constantine slumped into the seat by Raven and his second daughter turned her dark eyes on him.

“You’re not going to castrate Jason if we attempt sex, are you?” Raven asked.

“Love, when you and Jay should ever get to that point we’re going to have the powers talk, and fully inform the lad what sex with you could entail; it’ll weird you both out but better to be prepared. Lilith though, is a demigod with no control on her magic or powers and she has no idea what troubles sex could cause.”

“Did you… with Z?” Raven asked uncertainly.

“Zee, Zed and I all had the talk when she started getting interested in boys, but her magic is different from yours and Lilith’s, but you all should be more cautious about sex,” he said and moved his daughter’s hair aside. “Also, Lilith will entangle her heart with a guy who only wants sex, and that will end in disaster.”

“I see.”

“When did the demon become my easy child?” he sighed slumping back in his seat.

Raven stared at him in confusion.


	10. Family Vacation

Constantine had wrangled the girls into a simple job, a simple one for family bonding; he had chatted with Chas and they both had thought this a good idea. Chas was off with Gerry to the zoo, and Constantine stood at the gates of a haunted estate, bag in hand and three teens in tow and Zed glaring unimpressed at him. Perfect family holiday!

“Constantine,” Zed growled.

“It’s on the way,” he promised as he opened the squeaky gates. Zatanna frowned. Raven tilted her head a bit perplexed. Lilith looked livid.

“This is a family holiday,” Zed warned him.

“And this is on the way to the highlands!” he defended.

“I’m in,” Raven decided sauntering by, and Constantine smiled in triumph. Raven, forever daddy’s little girl, he watched as Zed sighed and Zatanna rolled her eyes, he grabbed Lilith and pulled the girl along. The demon lead the way, her shadows pulsed.

“So why are we here?”

“There’s been reports of demonic sightings here, and there’s no harm looking in on that, love,” he reminded Zed.

“John, you,” she started and then she paused.

“What do you see love?” he whispered.

“Fine, you win!” she screeched throwing her hands up in the air and he chuckled watching his best friend and lover walk a head of him. He had a terrific view of her ass when she was mad. Raven shot him a disgusted look, he shrugged.

“This is going to be fun,” he decided. Walking after his girls, he snapped his fingers to get the doors for them.

* * *

 

Zatanna sometimes wondered the sanity of joining Constantine’s rag tag family, but she was still aware he was the best. Raven lead the way, flames licking at her fingertips as they walked through the cellar they’d fallen into.

Zatanna shifted hearing a sound behind her, as her seals formed from her finger tips. The shadows stilled.

“What is it?” Raven’s smoky monotone demanded.

“Thought I sensed something,” Zatanna admitted.

Raven said nothing as her second eyes opened (which Zatanna found freaky beyond all get out, still) and looked around. “Nothing here,” the demoness shrugged.

They turned around and found themselves staring in the face of a decomposing monster

She screamed as she and Raven hurled spells at the corpse and ran for their lives. Never before had Zatanna been more thankful for her younger sister’s control of shadows as they ran through walls.

* * *

 

This was stupid, Lilith was more powerful than some dumb demon, and magically inclined. She could kill them with a snap of her fingers; she was a demigod after all.

She frowned hearing yelling and looked up just as Zatanna and Raven came barreling into her, they flew down a flight of stairs to land in a heap of limbs.

“WHAT IS WRONG WITH YOU TWO!” Lilith shrieked as the bigger girls clambered off her.

“THAT!” Zatanna shouted, and Raven threw a shadow down, breaking apart the house as they stood there gasping at the edge of the broken floor boards.

“Over reacting,” Lilith demanded blandly. Raven’s face dropped and then the demoness turned on her with her left eyes twitching as she stalked forward.

“No Rae!” Zatanna caught the younger woman then.

“Pathetic, need Zee-Zee to fight your battles for you?” Lilith sneered. “Or Jaybird?”

* * *

 

Raven lunged for Lilith only to find herself tossed through a portal and standing in the gardens. Growling in frustration she stalked for the house. She hated that tramp upstart; it was worse than when Zee had joined the family.

“Hello there,” an angelic voice had Raven turning around slowly as she stared at the very thing she hated more than her father and stared at the angel. “Such a lovely family, been a while demon.”

“Manny,” Raven spoke softly.

“Been growing I see,” he sneered.

“Try to keep up, feathers,” Raven challenged the fallen angel and she dropped massive shadows as she lunged forward, catching the angel in her talons as she snarled and her second eyes opened. This was the angel who threatened her family! He would perish! They crashed into the shadows and Raven threw him off as she slashed out spells at rapid speed and charged the angel.

Manny struggled to keep footing and Raven unleashed a blast of spells which knocked him through the house, Manny rolled at the feet of Zatanna and Lilith who were arguing, Constantine stood with Zed overhead.

“I found the demon,” Raven growled as she stalked Manny.

* * *

 

Zed smiled as she stared at her girls beating up the angel who had harassed them for so long and she leaned on the banister with Constantine.

“This is better than I was hoping for,” he mused.

“Well, this is exactly what I saw,” she admitted plucking the cigarette from her lover’s lips and staring down on her girls with pride.

“Think this is over the top?” John asked her.

“Nope,” she admitted, flicking his cigarette away.

“You cheeky chica, you knew this would happen,” he shook his head.

“Well, it was one of the outcomes, especially when I saw all the pennies,” she mused.

“We better stop them from killing the bastard,” he admitted. “I have better uses for a fallen angel than a dead angel,” he kissed her temple and Zed preened a bit. Constantine jogged down and Zed chuckled as she felt the First of the Fallen land beside her.

“I see my granddaughter is fairing well,” Lucifer chuckled.

“She is, and you promised us a family vacation,” Zed turned on the Devil, and Luci chuckled.

“I’ve arranged a quaint, unhaunted castle for you in the highlands,” he mused.

“Uh-huh, and the vacation part of this?” Zed asked.

“It’s demon free, ghost free, and magic free, vacation, as per our arrangement, thank you for catching that little slim,” Lucifer kissed her knuckles and then he swooped away as he grabbed the fallen angel and disappeared.

“What the bloody hell!?” Constantine balked.

“Vacation Constantine, our work is done!” Zed shouted, the center beam of the house fell as Raven’s magic teleported them. She stared at the ruins of the house then looked balefully at the girls, all three of them found the sky interesting all of a sudden.

“We’re going to have to work on containing destruction,” Constantine sighed.


	11. Shopping Hells

Okay, after the shopping HELL of my week; I have sworn off malls by the way people, never again; anyways, I couldn’t think of how to attack this. Especially since I never write Constantine with his girls as kids, they’re usually teens or tweens so I hope you enjoy! =)

**Shopping Hells…**

John Constantine could honestly say that he never jibbed his girls for Christmas; it was a very serious affair in his house. Zed went all out for Christmas. Raven loved it. Zatanna had only fond memories this time of year. And Lilith was new to his house but he was sure she would love the efforts put in for Christmas.

However, this year was a wee bit different.

Normally Constantine dragged his family off to Scotland (not Wales or Ireland or even England as the Englishman in him would demand; he went to Scotland), and stayed in a castle (courtesy of Lucifer, who did come to the family Christmases) for the entirety of December and most of January. It had started as a retreat to help heal Zed, let her rest from the nightmares of her visions, also Chas was off with Gerry during this time of year. So when Raven had joined his family he had dragged her Scotland, the natural magic of the Scottish Highlands though was a heady high for the young demoness as it was merely pure magic. Neither dark nor light, just magic and she loved it. Zatanna was the same way, and the demigoddess would probably be the same too.

Pure magic, it was neither dark nor light, merely pure raw magic, it was easy to find in the heart of the Highlands or in Ireland, or even in the heart of Iceland. To find it though, it was intoxicating to magicians and sorcerers alike; it was why so many of today’s magic people flocked to Scotland or Ireland, hell, even New Zealand; that kind of pure unfettered magic it was intoxicating.

Anyways, Constantine was in Gotham, as Raven hung out with Jason, Zatanna was probably playing swapspit with Dick Grayson, and Lilith was sulking for all males her age being banished from her vicinity minus Tim, Damian and Duke; all three boys didn’t like her so she wasn’t going to be able to woo them. He was trekking through Gotham on the hunt for three magical items for his girls, and a gift for Zed. He had to get a gift for Zed, Zed was a fiery saint who deserved far more than Constantine was capable of giving her.

Looking through the shops he kind of wondered what the fuck he could get the girls, that they would like without just faking it.

Zatanna was his fashionista, she loved her fishnet stockings and stage cloths, but when she was casual she was always wearing pretty things, usually in hades of purples or reds. Still he didn’t want to get her something mundane.

Then there was Raven, sure he could get her a book, she loved her bloody books, but she had more than enough of those. He’d get her cloths, but there was a chance that whatever he bought her would be lost or stolen into Zatanna’s wardrobe.

Also Lilith, if he had it his way he’d dress her like a fucking nun and ship her to a convent, but that wouldn’t do. He had the brief thought of buying her a chastity belt to prevent the sex thoughts that seemed to drive her, but he couldn’t. Zed would fucking kill him.

Then there was the final issue of Zed; his not quiet wife, more than lover, friend and coworker, coparenter too, who he had to find a good fucking gift for. Something that wasn’t just as mundane as last year’s gift; which according to Luci he was lucky Zed didn’t shove down his throat.

Constantine paused seeing Bruce Wayne hauling away some of the exclusive toys, looking very disgruntled.

“What the fuck B!?” he sputtered. When Bruce was near him. Bruce glanced at him, and sighed, they walked to the food court and sat down. Constantine just stared at the horde of toys there.

“I have too many kids,” Bruce decided after they had food. Constantine had ordered them burgers; whiskey would be welcomed.

“None of them are little,” Constantine pointed out.

“Selina is expecting, we’re prepping the nursery and trying to figure out how to tell the kids. And I just found out about Alina, she’s eight, her mom gave her up in exchange for a pay out,” Bruce said with disgust.

“Ah, congrats?” Constantine offered.

“You?”

“Women are a bitch to shop for,” he cheered his friend with his Diet Coke then, wishing it was something stronger. He had half a mind to perform magic and make it something stronger. “And Luci is no help to this dilemma.”

“So you have Christmas plans?” Bruce asked skeptically.

“Luci’s got a castle, and he dotes on the girls,” Constantine shrugged. “You?”

“Vermont this year, promised Selina and breaking the news to the kids about more kids,” Bruce sighed.

“You adopt every misfit and troublemaker you trip over,” Constantine teased. There were few fathers in the JL who understood what it was to adopt children who needed homes, and to help those children find purpose. B was the only one Constantine was on speaking terms with. Everyone else could sod off.

“I do not.”

“Dick, Babs, Jason, Tim, Steph, Cass, Duke, Damian, Terry and Matt, Carrie, Nell, Helena and now Alina, plus the new one.”

“New ones,” Bruce reiterated.

“What?”

“Selina is having twins.”

“And people say I’m curse,” Constantine chuckled at the Bat’s sickly look. “Congratulations. By the way, what do you get four women of various tastes, that they’ll actually like?”

“When you figure it out, tell me.” Bruce gestured to the obscene mountain of gifts he had.

“Fair point. I’ll summon the Devil then, he’ll help me shop for his granddaughters.”

“I thought he was only Raven’s grandfather.”

“He adopted the rest, and Zed adores him.”

“Your girls have terrible tastes in men,” Bruce stated.

“Obviously, they have me as a dad!” he chuckled. Bruce smiled a bit as he sliced his burger with a fork and knife. “That’s just un-fucking-natural.”

“As opposed to the Supernatural?”

Constantine shrugged as they ate in companionable silence in the bustle of Gotham’s mall.


	12. Spectre

Constantine looked at his girl and softened as she lay there in the hospital bed; it had been sudden; the attack. Something which no one had been prepared for; least of all, him, and Raven had been with him at the time. It was the Justice League Watch Tower, a place supposed to be safe!

Obviously, he had overestimated the fucking Yoga Pants Club.

He had been talking with his eldest, Zatanna and Dr. Fate when it had happened.

The attack was from the Spectre, the enraged ghost had been misguided in it’s attack, however, Raven’s soul the price. Constantine didn’t know how she had done it, but his daughter had torn through that Watch Tower and grappled with the most lethal, and dangerous of beings in their universe, without a thought, attempting to tear the Spectre down.

It was his fault, always his fault, now his baby was here.

Spectre had been directed at him for the murder of some witch or other he’d once been involved with from LA. Problem was, the Spectre never omitted when he was wrong, and Raven’s fury, and her unharnessed emotions had nearly torn the fabrics of reality, even as the Spectre tore her soul apart.

Now she was here, hooked up to a thousand machines, and her heart was beating.

“Oh, baby,” he murmured keeping her hand clasped firmly in his hands and pressed to his cheek. She was only thirteen, and so tiny. So tiny, so fragile. He furiously blinked the tears away as a machine made her breath in this steady abnormal rhythm.

“I’ve contacted Zed,” Deadman said appearing over Rae. Constantine never took his eyes from his daughter’s struggling body.

“Is she?”

“I can’t find her on this side Constantine,” Deadman omitted. He nodded, the tears were welling up, blurring his vision. “I’ll ask Rama Kushna, but I ain’t findin’ her soul over here.”

“Where did the Spectre take it!?” he muttered in frustration dragging his free hand through his hair. He stared at Raven, who was still being forced to breath, if she didn’t reconnect with her soul soon there’d be no point in these machines, nothing would keep her alive.

“Constantine,” a hand was on his shoulder and he looked up at his eldest. Zatanna smiled a bit; weakly.

“Boston’s here,” was all he said.

“Thank you Boston,” she said and Constantine felt Deadman leave then. “Bats is here to talk to you, I’ll stay with here.”

“Zed’s coming,” he said, not getting up yet.

“Kay,” the teen nodded. He looked at Raven again, and got up reluctantly.

“I’ll be back luv, don’t worry about a thing,” he murmured kissing her brow as he forced himself to let her go. Zatanna took his place, and he watched his girls as Zatanna combed Raven’s purple hair back a bit. He walked into the hall and saw Bruce there, the Bat gave him a tight nod and he shoved his hands in his pockets.

“How’s she doing?”

“Physically, she’ll heal,” he admitted. “Not having her soul though, that’ll kill her,” he said.

“This isn’t your fault Constantine,” Bruce started.

“The Hell It Isn’t!” he seethed stepping towards the Bat. “That little girl in there is my fucking life line, has been since she was eight years old! The only reason I am not some bum in a trench coat who every miserable face on this fucking planet dreads running into is because of that little girl. And I will Be DAMNED if My Daughter Goes To Hell, AGAIN, THAT’S MY DAUGHTER!” he screamed it at Bruce. “And she is only here because she is my daughter.”

“We will save her,” Bruce stated firmly.

“Save the bloody fairy tales for your Robins, that girl was forged in the bowels of hell and all the hellfire in the world couldn’t melt her down. But a fucking ghost with her soul can cut her down,” he snapped.

“Constantine, you can’t think this way,” Bruce started.

“Why the fuck not!? This is my bloody reality, and it’s bullocks! Now, unless you have my daughter’s soul trapped in one of this infinite amount of pockets in your utility belt; I am going to go and be with her, because she doesn’t have much time left if we don’t find her soul, and I refuse to let her even dare to think she died alone.” Constantine walked back into the room to see Raven still breathing. Zatanna got up from his seat and he collapsed in it as his daughter summoned another one.

* * *

 

Bruce hated magic, he hated it because he didn’t know how to help. His son’s best friend, his friend’s daughter, was laying there utterly helpless and he didn’t know how to help because it was magic. He hated magic.

* * *

 

Zed searched wildly for a hint of Raven’s soul as she tore her eyes through all the planes of existence and focused. It was killing her, but she had to find her daughter’s soul; because the Spectre had NO RIGHT to sever that from her daughter. And when she got done with the Spectre she was going to give that ghost a piece of her mind.

But first, she searched through all the possible futures for Raven’s soul; time was not on her side in this matter. Nabu stood behind her as her hands worked each sketch quickly for a hint.

* * *

 

Zatanna bit her lip as she stared at her little sister; was this what Dick had meant when she could feel helpless. God above she was such a fool, so angry with Nabu for using her father as a host, but now… Now her little sister was dying all because no one knew where Raven’s soul was.

Scary to think the little demon wasn’t soulless and needed her soul just like they all did.

She was such a fool. And now Raven could die and she didn’t know anything about her baby sister! Zatanna wanted to scream at Spectre.


End file.
